Esther Hochstadter shows prospective Jews what Torah life really looks like

Esther Hochstadter is one of the founders of the Jewish Community Council of Montreal’s Orthodox conversion program. She’s taught and mentored baalei teshuvah as well as women seeking Orthodox conversion for over 30 years. 

From the day I graduated Michlalah Jerusalem College back in ’78, I had my heart set on being a teacher. Sporting a dual degree in Tanach — authentic, high-level Torah knowledge — and ESL, I entered the classroom.

I remained in Israel for nine years, during which I studied, got married, had my two oldest kids, and enjoyed the beginnings of my teaching career. Though I loved what I did, I soon realized that raising a bunch of little children needed more of my attention. Add to that a move back to Canada, my home country, and I made a decision to stay out of the classroom for a while.

Hashem had other plans.

Back in Montreal, a fledgling endeavor was underway. A rav in the community asked if I’d learn with one woman, a potential convert, and teach her different Jewish topics, some halachah and hashkafah. The woman was a university graduate, and with my professional background, as well as my eclectic connections with Chabad, Breslov, and the mainstream community, the rav saw me perhaps as being a little out of the box and felt I could work well with her. One student doesn’t sound too threatening, I thought. I said okay.

One student quickly became two, then three, but it was a quiet affair, around my dining room table. When people would ask what I do, I’d simply say “adult Jewish education.” It was too complicated to explain myself all the time.

Feel at Home

Looking back, there was no sudden metamorphosis. In the beginning, it was just me and the rabbanim and a friend of mine who became the administrator. The rabbanim wanted our program to provide an extremely high standard of geirus that would be universally recognized, so they consulted with major authorities in Israel. Together we developed a curriculum and almost simultaneously opened a male division to accommodate the men who wanted to come learn.

Fast forward a few years later. As converts from our nascent program started moving into the neighborhood, people started calling with offers to have guests for Shabbos. Jewish media began featuring the concept of conversion programs as well. Today it’s a common fact in the Jewish world.

In a twist of irony,  several years in, I was hosting a baalas teshuvah at my home. I walked her to shul on Shabbos and introduced her, and people were confused at the obviously Sephardic last name; they’d grown so accustomed to seeing me with conversion candidates whose names were often not Jewish sounding. Hey, I also know a few Jews in this town, I wanted to say. But that’s how well-known we’d become, and I was gratified.